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Blue Bulls stampede into final
03/05/2008 14:45 - (SA)
Pretoria - The Blue Bulls put on a scintillating second half performance to secure themselves a place in the Vodacom Cup rugby final by beating defending champions Griquas 40-20 on Saturday at Loftus Versfeld.
It was a matter of sweet revenge for the Blue Bulls who were losing finalists last year at the hands of Griquas in the dying seconds of that game.
This time around the Bulls were the ones who applied the late pressure, but their runaway victory was well constructed from the early stages of the second half.
The Bulls scored three tries in the second half as their territorial and possession dominants showed on the scoreboard, as well.
Griquas would have fancied their chances of making the final for the second consecutive year when they trailed the Bulls by three points at half-time (10-7) after producing most of the play in the first half.
Scrambled back into the game
It was the Bulls, though, that got on the scoreboard first when Braam Gerber crashed over in the sixth minute.
The Bulls extended their lead late in the first half through a penalty by flyhalf Burton Francis.
Griquas scrambled back into the game with a try by centre Lafras Uys which was converted by Rian Viljoen.
That would be the last time that Griquas would threaten the hosts as Francis dictated terms in the second half with his boot and hands.
Griquas troubled the scoreboard first in the second half with a Viljoen penalty but Francis stole the show with two drop-goals, the first a 50m strike in the 48th minute and the second another long range strike which bounced off the crossbar in the 57th minute.
In between the drop-goals, Bulls prop Rassie van Vuuren barged over in the 52nd minute to give the Bulls a 20-10 lead before Viljoen struck another penalty in the 56th minute.
The Bulls continued with their dominance with fullback Tiger Mangweni scoring two late tries both from turnovers in the Griquas half.
Viljoen was able to grab a consolation try for Griquas in the 74th minute but Francis had the last say with a penalty in the 78th minute.
Scorers
Blue Bulls: Tries: Braam Gerber, Rassie van Vuuren, Tiger Mangweni (2). Conversions: Burton Francis (4). Penalties: Burton Francis (2). Drop-goal: Burton Francis (2).
Griquas: Tries: Lafras Uys, Rian Viljoen. Conversions: Rian Viljoen (2). Penalties: Rian Viljoen (2).
- SAPA
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